Hérault gastronomy features high-quality local products and proven know-how. Influences from the sea and the mountains meet on the tables of the region’s gourmet restaurants, to the delight of gourmets and gourmands.
Some specialties from Hérault
In Hérault, a Mediterranean region par excellence, we find numerous varieties of olives and olive oil, cheeses, shellfish and seafood, bee products and sun-drenched fruits. Colors and scents mix on the plates of a gourmet restaurant in Hérault like a master’s painting. Cuttlefish rouilles, stuffed mussels, macaronades, brasucades, these specialties are absolutely worth discovering during a visit to the south-west of France.
Montpellier butter has enjoyed a reputation that has been firmly anchored for centuries. It serves as an accompaniment to grilled meats and fish, and contains watercress, tarragon, chervil, spinach, capers, anchovies and garlic. This preparation, which is offered in any self-respecting gourmet restaurant in Hérault, is a true institution in the region.
For those who have a weakness for savory specialties, Sète cuisine, which has marked Latin influences, is distinguished by its seafood and pond products. Simple but rich, bougnette originates from the mountains but is nowadays prepared on farms. This charcuterie preparation contains shank, pork fat, eggs and bread crumbs. It is eaten as a cold, hot, dry starter or in grilled slices.
Monkfish bouride is prepared by browning the main ingredient in olive oil and then simmering it in dry white wine with a tight aioli. It is served with toasted bread and small finely chopped vegetables, sometimes with squid or cuttlefish. You can also use monkfish for Palavas-style leg of the sea where it is served with eggplant, tomatoes, peppers and zucchini.
Renowned wines
Eat in a gourmet restaurant in Hérault, it also means giving yourself the opportunity to discover a very high quality wine list. Clairette du Languedoc, which comes from a unique grape variety grown on the banks of the Hérault river and in the hillsides of the middle valley. This is an AOC which can be followed by the name of the commune of origin. This wine exists in sweet, dry, rancio, but also as a liqueur wine. The Saint-Chinian vintage comes from the villages at the foot of the Montagne Noire, on the banks of the Orb. AOC for around thirty years, this wine favors clay-sandy soils to which it owes its flavor, sometimes fruity, generous and supple, sometimes full-bodied and long in the mouth.
With their 14 terroirs, the Languedoc hillsides are the most maritime appellation in the region. These white, rosé or red wines offer an extremely varied palette of tastes and nuances. Finally, Pic Saint-Loup, dark red in color, is mainly made with three grape varieties: Syrah, which is distinguished by its delicate aromas, Mourvèdre by the finesse of its tannins, and Grenache by its resistance.